The music industry’s elite gathered on Memorial Day Monday for the highly anticipated return of the American Music Awards (AMAs). Broadcasting live to hand out trophies to the year’s chart-topping artists, the night belonged to global icon Taylor Swift, who converted her field-leading eight nominations into massive wins for Artist of the Year and Album of the Year for her hit project The Life of a Showgirl.
Iconic multi-hyphenate Queen Latifah took center stage as the evening’s host, marking a historic return to the AMA microphone exactly 30 years after her first time emceeeding the gala.
The 2026 ceremony introduced a major structural shake-up with 11 newly minted award categories, giving a platform to breakout tours, throwback nostalgia, and independent sub-genres.
Rising stars Olivia Dean and Sombr entered the night neck-and-neck with seven nominations each, squaring off across multiple categories. In the end, Ella Langley pulled a major upset to capture the coveted New Artist of the Year crown.
Newly Introduced Categories (2026 Debuts)
Breakthrough Categories: Katseye took home the trophy for Breakthrough Pop Artist, while Sombr locked down the win for Breakthrough Rock/Alternative Artist.
Hip-Hop & R&B
Breakthrough Categories: Pluto won Breakthrough Hip-Hop Artist, while Ravyn Lenae claimed the honors for Breakthrough R&B Artist.
Breakthrough Categories: Sam Barber captured Breakthrough Country Artist, while Netón Vega earned the title of Breakthrough Latin Artist.